“I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship… did you think I was going to be a chill, normal dude?”
Elon Musk told viewers of the US comedy show Saturday Night Live that he has Asperger’s syndrome.
As he opened last night’s show, the billionaire said that he was “making history” as “the first person with Asperger’s to host SNL.” Musk then joked that he was, at least, “the first person to admit it.”
He continued: “So I won’t make a lot of eye contact with the cast tonight, but don’t worry I’m pretty good at running “human” in emulation mode.”
This is thought to be the first time the Tesla CEO has publicly opened up about having Asperger’s syndrome.
Touching on his social media presence, Musk said: “I know I sometimes say or post strange things, but that’s just how my brain works.
“To anyone I’ve offended, I just want to say I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship… did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?”
The first-time host said: “It’s an honour to be hosting Saturday Night Live. I mean that. Sometimes, after I say something, I have to say that I mean it, so people really know that I mean it.
“That’s because I don’t always have a lot of intonational variation in how I speak, which I’m told makes for great comedy!”
As host, Musk invited his mother, Maye, on stage to discuss what the billionaire was like as a child.
He said: “Mum, do you remember when I was 12 and I created my own video game called ‘Blast Star’ about a spaceship that battles aliens?”
Maye responded, saying: “I remember they paid you $500. But you were too young to open a bank account so I had to open one for you.”
“That’s right, whatever happened to that bank account?” Musk joked, to which his mother responded: That’s not important.”
